A technique for establishing automatic service connectivity in a network between multiple network elements is disclosed. Each network element utilizes routing and distribution protocols to discover its neighbors and establish a topology. Optical fibers connect the network elements. Each optical fiber carries multiple wavelengths of signals, wherein the network elements communicate with a server. The method comprises: storing information pertaining to each of the network elements at the server; registering network elements by collecting information about each network element; receiving a connectivity request from a first registered node for connection with a second registered node; determining compatibility of the first and second registered node; and instructing network elements upon verifying compatibility to search for an end-to-end wavelength path and establish a connection between the first registered node and the second registered node.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A virtual photonics switching system comprising: multiple photonics network elements comprising photonics network nodes and photonics network switches; optical fibers connecting the photonics network elements; and an O-UNI server optically connected to at least one of the photonics network elements including: at least one memory for storing information pertaining to photonics network nodes registered with the O-UNI server; a communication circuit for receiving a connectivity request from a first registered photonics network node for a connection with a second registered photonics network node; and connection logic for determining compatibility of the first and second registered photonics network nodes; the communications circuit providing instructions to photonics network switches upon verifying compatibility of the first and second registered photonics network nodes to search for an end-to-end wavelength path and establish the connection between the first registered photonics network node and the second registered photonic network node.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the O-UNI server further comprises a web menu for providing a user with a selection of available services.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the connection logic determines technology compatibility.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the photonics network nodes include photonics network service nodes and photonics network access nodes.
5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the photonics network service nodes comprise core routers or video servers.
6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the photonics network access nodes comprise multiplexers or edge routers.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the O-UNI server further comprises fault management tools for determining when an error has occurred in establishing the connection.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the photonics network elements, the optical fibers, and the O-UNI server comprise a protocol agnostic private network, provided that communicating photonics network nodes use an identical communication protocol.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the O-UNI server further comprises registration tools for registering photonics network nodes and collecting information including number of ports, wavelengths per port, and bandwidth per wavelength.
10. A method for establishing automatic service connectivity in a network between multiple photonics network elements comprising photonics network nodes and photonics network switches connected by optical fibers, each optical fiber carrying multiple wavelengths of signals, wherein the photonics network elements optically communicate with an O-UNI server, the method comprising: registering photonics network nodes at the O-UNI server by collecting information about each photonics network node; storing information pertaining to each registered photonics network node at the O-UNI server; receiving a connectivity request at the O-UNI server from a first registered photonics network node for a connection with a second registered photonics network node; determining compatibility of the first and second registered photonics network nodes at the O-UNI server; and instructing photonics network switches from the O-UNI server upon verifying compatibility of the first and second registered photonics network nodes to search for an end-to-end wavelength path and establish the connection between the first registered photonics network node and the second registered photonics network node.
11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising providing the O-UNI server with A web menu for providing a user with a selection of available services.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the step of determining compatibility comprises determining technology compatibility.
13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising using photonics network service nodes and photonics network access nodes as the photonics network nodes.
14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising providing core routers or video servers as photonics network service nodes.
15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising providing multiplexers or edge routers as photonics network access nodes.
16. The method of claim 10 , further comprising performing fault management for determining when an error has occurred in establishing the connection.
17. The method of claim 10 , further comprising forming a protocol agnostic private network provided that communicating photonics network nodes use an identical communication protocol.
18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the step of registering photonics network nodes comprises collecting information including number of ports, wavelengths per port, and bandwidth per wavelength.
19. An O-UNI server adaptable for use in a virtual photonics switching system having a plurality of photonics network elements comprising photonics network nodes and photonics network switches, the O-UNI server comprising: at least one memory for storing information pertaining to each photonics network node registered with the O-UNI server; a communication circuit for receiving a connectivity request from a first registered photonics network node for a connection with a second registered photonics network node; and connection logic for determining compatibility of the first and second registered photonics network nodes; the communications circuit providing instructions to photonics network switches upon verifying compatibility of the first and second registered photonics network nodes to search for an end-to-end wavelength path and establish the connection between the first registered photonics network node and the second registered photonics network node.
20. The O-UNI server of claim 19 , further comprising a web menu for providing a user with a selection of available services.
21. The O-UNI server of claim 19 , wherein the connection logic determines technology compatibility.
22. The O-UNI server of claim 19 , further comprising fault management tools for determining when an error has occurred in establishing the connection.
23. The O-UNI server of claim 19 , further comprising registration tools for registering photonics network nodes and collecting information including number of ports, wavelengths per port, and bandwidth per wavelength.
24. The O-UNI server of claim 19 , further comprising address management tools for address resolution and assignment.
25. The O-UNI server of claim 19 , further comprising accounting management tools for managing data associated with service usage.
26. The O-UNI server of claim 19 , further comprising security management tools for managing allocation and authentication of access passwords of the photonics network nodes.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
October 10, 2001
September 19, 2006
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